ART lovers will be invited to see art in a different way with the launch of the UK’s first major contemporary art fair in the Heart of England.

Fresh: Art Fair, which launches its first show at Cheltenham Racecourse in May, is a new national art fair on a mission to make quality art more accessible to the regions, filling a gap currently under-served by other art fairs. 

Co-founded by Anthony Wardle, a former chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi subsidiaries, Fresh: Art Fair will launch with 45 of the UK’s best contemporary galleries, many of which are rarely seen on the UK art fair circuit. 

With some 5000 paintings and sculptures from over 400 established and emerging artists there will be something to suit art lovers of all tastes and budgets from established and aspiring collectors to complete newcomers to the world of art. 

On show will be work from internationally acclaimed and collected artists, Royal Academicians and Royal West of England Academicians, and Members and Fellows of The ROI, RSW, RBSA and RSA. 

They include Barbara Rae, Mary Fedden, Bridget Riley, Sir Peter Blake, Peter Wileman, Sophie Ryder, Edward Noott and Alan Halliday.

Among them will be many rising stars and fresh new faces including Ukrainian-born oil painter Iryna Yermalova, French sculptor Lou-Brice Léonard, English wildlife sculptor Adam Binder and Spanish-born still-life artist Raquel Alvarez. 

For the first time in the art fair world, visitors will not only be able to buy art, but also bring some of their old paintings that they might wish to sell. 

Experts from Fine Art Auctioneers Bonhams will be on-site to provide free valuations. 

Tickets for the three-day show are from £6 per person. One ticket admits two when bought online. 

The Friday is a free day for all visitors, and children under 16 years old have free entry throughout the Fair. 

  • The 2017 fair runs from Friday, May 12-Sunday, May 14 at Cheltenham Racecourse with a Private View on the evening of Thursday, May 11.
  • For more information and tickets visit freshartfair.net.